U.S. Census Bureau
U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis

U.S. Department of Commerce 
NEWS
Washington, DC 20230


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
8:30 A.M. EDT FRIDAY, MARCH 13, 2009

For information on goods contact:
U.S. Census Bureau:
Nick Orsini
301-763-6959
Maria Iseman
301-763-2311

For information on services contact:
U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis:
Technical:  Edward Dozier
202-606-9559
Media:       Ralph Stewart
202-606-2649

CB09-39, BEA09-07, FT-900 (09-01)

U.S. INTERNATIONAL TRADE IN GOODS AND SERVICES
January 2009

Goods and Services

The U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Bureau of 
Economic Analysis, through the Department of 
Commerce, announced today that total January exports of 
$124.9 billion and imports of $160.9 billion resulted in a 
goods and services deficit of $36.0 billion, down from 
$39.9 billion in December, revised.  January exports were 
$7.6 billion less than December exports of $132.5 billion.  
January imports were $11.5 billion less than December 
imports of $172.4 billion.

In January, the goods deficit decreased $4.3 billion 
from December to $47.0 billion, and the services surplus 
decreased $0.4 billion to $10.9 billion.  Exports of goods 
decreased $6.5 billion to $82.2 billion, and imports of 
goods decreased $10.9 billion to $129.2 billion.  Exports 
of services decreased $1.1 billion to $42.7 billion, and 
imports of services decreased $0.6 billion to $31.8 
billion.

In January, the goods and services deficit decreased 
$23.1 billion from January 2008.  Exports were down 
$24.4 billion, or 16.4 percent, and imports were down 
$47.6 billion, or 22.8 percent.
 
Goods

The December to January change in exports of goods 
reflected decreases in capital goods ($3.0 billion); 
automotive vehicles, parts, and engines ($2.2 billion); 
consumer goods ($0.9 billion); industrial supplies and 
materials ($0.7 billion); and other goods ($0.3 billion).  
An increase occurred in foods, feeds, and beverages ($0.1 
billion).
 
The December to January change in imports of goods 
reflected decreases in industrial supplies and materials 
($4.6 billion); automotive vehicles, parts, and engines 
($3.3 billion); capital goods ($1.9 billion); consumer 
goods ($0.4 billion); other goods ($0.3 billion); and 
foods, feeds, and beverages ($0.3 billion). 
The January 2008 to January 2009 change in exports of 
goods reflected decreases in industrial supplies and 
materials ($7.8 billion); capital goods ($6.4 billion); 
automotive vehicles, parts, and engines ($4.8 billion); 
consumer goods ($1.9 billion); foods, feeds, and beverages 
($1.5 billion); and other goods ($0.4 billion). 

The January 2008 to January 2009 change in imports of 
goods reflected decreases in industrial supplies and 
materials ($26.0 billion); automotive vehicles, parts, and 
engines ($9.7 billion); capital goods ($5.7 billion); 
consumer goods ($3.4 billion); other goods ($0.6 billion); 
and foods, feeds, and beverages ($0.2 billion). 


Services

Services exports decreased $1.1 billion from December 
to January.  The decrease was mostly accounted for by 
decreases in travel, other transportation (which includes 
freight and port services), and passenger fares.  Changes in 
other categories of services exports were small.

Services imports decreased $0.6 billion from December 
to January.  The decrease was mostly accounted for by 
decreases in other transportation, travel, and passenger 
fares.  Changes in other categories of services imports were 
small.

The January 2008 to January 2009 decrease in exports 
of services was $2.0 billion.  The largest decreases were in 
other transportation ($1.0 billion), travel ($0.8 billion), and 
transfers under U.S. military sales contracts ($0.6 billion).  
Increases in royalties and license fees ($0.2 billion) and 
other private services ($0.1 billion), which includes items 
such as business, professional, and technical services, 
insurance services, and financial services, were partly 
offsetting.  Within other private services, the largest 
increase was in business, professional, and technical 
services, and the largest decrease was in financial services.  

The January 2008 to January 2009 decrease in imports 
of services was $1.5 billion.  The largest decreases were in 
other transportation ($1.0 billion), travel ($0.5 billion), and 
royalties and license fees ($0.2 billion).  An increase in 
other private services ($0.3 billion) was partly offsetting.  
Within other private services, the largest increase was in 
business, professional, and technical services, and the 
largest decrease was in financial services.

Goods and Services Moving Average

For the three months ending in January, exports of 
goods and services averaged $132.7 billion, while imports 
of goods and services averaged $172.2 billion, resulting in 
an average trade deficit of $39.5 billion.  For the three 
months ending in December, the average trade deficit was 
$46.8 billion, reflecting average exports of $141.0 billion 
and average imports of $187.8 billion.

Selected Not Seasonally Adjusted Goods Details

The January figures showed surpluses, in billions of 
dollars, with Hong Kong $1.0 ($1.0 for December), Singapore 
$0.7 ($0.7), Australia $0.6 ($0.7), and Egypt $0.2 ($0.2).  
Deficits were recorded, in billions of dollars, with China $20.6 
($19.9), Japan $4.3 ($5.3), OPEC $4.0 ($4.7), the European 
Union $3.5 ($7.0), Mexico $2.7 ($4.1), Canada $2.5 ($2.8), 
Korea $1.9 ($1.4), Taiwan $1.3 ($1.3), and Venezuela $1.1 
($1.2).

Advanced technology products (ATP) exports were $18.7 
billion in January and imports were $20.7 billion, resulting in 
a deficit of $2.0 billion.  January exports were $3.3 billion less 
than the $22.1 billion in December, while imports were $3.6 
billion less than the $24.3 billion in December.

Revisions

Goods carry-over in January was $0.1 billion (0.1 percent) 
for exports and $0.8 billion (0.6 percent) for imports.  For 
December, revised export carry-over was $0.1 billion (0.1 
percent), virtually unrevised.  For December, revised import 
carry-over was $0.3 billion (0.2 percent), revised down from 
$1.1 billion (0.8 percent).

Goods and services exports and imports for all months in 
2008 were revised in order to align the seasonally adjusted 
monthly estimates with the annual totals. 

Services exports and imports for July through December 
2008 reflect the incorporation of more comprehensive and 
revised quarterly and monthly data.  For services exports, the 
largest monthly revisions were in royalties and license fees 
and other private services.  For services imports, the largest 
monthly revisions were in other transportation, other private 
services, and royalties and license fees.

Services exports for December were revised down $1.3 billion to 
$43.8 billion.  The revision was mostly accounted for by downward 
revisions in royalties and license fees and other private services.  
Services imports for December were revised down $1.0 billion to 
$32.4 billion.  The largest downward revisions were in other 
transportation, other private services, and royalties and license fees.



	TABLE OF CONTENTS
 

Seasonally Adjusted

Exhibit 1
U.S. International Trade in Goods and Services
1

Exhibit 2
U.S. International Trade in Goods and Services Three-month Moving Averages
2

Exhibit 3
U.S. Services by Major Category - Exports
3

Exhibit 4
U.S. Services by Major Category - Imports
4

Exhibit 5
U.S. Trade in Goods
5

Exhibit 6
Exports and Imports of Goods by Principal End-Use Category
6

Exhibit 7
Exports of Goods by End-Use Category and Commodity
7

Exhibit 8
Imports of Goods by End-Use Category and Commodity
9

Exhibit 9
Exports, Imports, and Balance of Goods, Petroleum and Non-Petroleum End-Use 
Category Totals
11

Exhibit 10
Real Exports and Imports of Goods by Principal End-Use Category (2000 Chain-
weighted dollars)
12

Exhibit 11
Real Exports, Imports, and Balance of Goods, Petroleum and Non-Petroleum End-Use 
Commodity Category Totals (2000 Chain-weighted dollars)
13

Not Seasonally Adjusted

Exhibit 12
U.S. Trade in Goods
14

Exhibit 13
Exports and Imports of Goods by Principal End-Use Category
15

Exhibit 14
Exports, Imports, and Balance of Goods by Selected Countries and Areas
16

Exhibit 15
Exports and Imports of Goods by Principal SITC Commodities
18

Exhibit 16
Exports, Imports, and Balance of Advanced Technology Products
20

Exhibit 16a
Exports, Imports, and Balance of Advanced Technology Products by Technology
Group and Selected Countries and Areas
21

Exhibit 17
Imports of Energy-Related Petroleum Products, Including Crude Oil
22

Exhibit 18
Exports and Imports of Motor Vehicles and Parts by Selected Countries
23

Information on Goods and Services
A-1


NOTICE

Changes to Country Groupings and Areas

Effective with this release, country groupings and areas are revised to reflect changes for Kosovo, the 
Euro area, and OPEC.  The country of Kosovo is listed in exhibits 6 and 6a of the FT-900 supplement.  
Beginning with the data for January 2009, Slovakia is included in the Euro area in exhibit 14 of the 
FT-900 and exhibit 6 of the FT-900 supplement. Also beginning with the data for January 2009, 
Indonesia is excluded from OPEC in exhibit 14 of the FT-900 and exhibit 6 of the FT-900 supplement.  
The statistics for prior time periods are not affected by these changes.

Changes to Export Data

Effective with this release, the Census Bureau has suppressed export data for certain 10-digit Schedule 
B commodity classifications related to the aircraft industry.  To account for the suppression of 
commodity detail, the Census Bureau has begun publishing a new commodity classification series 
titled "Civilian Aircraft, Engines, and Parts" under Schedule B code 8800.00.0000.

Goods export data from January 2004 through December 2008 will be revised as a result of analysis of 
the aircraft industry.  The 2004 - 2008 revisions will be reflected in both the April FT-900 and the FT-
900 Annual Revision to be released on June 10, 2009 and in all standard revised Foreign Trade 
Division data products.  Please note that not all Census Bureau publications or data products will be 
updated with these revisions. Information on revised data products is available at 
http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/statistics/notices/aircraft/products.html.

The suppression of commodity detail impacts all classification systems, including End-use, Standard 
International Trade Classification System (SITC), North American Industry Classification System 
(NAICS), and Advanced Technology Product (ATP).  A complete list of affected classification 
systems and codes is available at http://www.census.gov/foreign-
trade/statistics/notices/aircraft/codes.html.

Changes to Data Products

Effective with this release, the U.S. Census Bureau has modified the record layout and file format of 
several data products to accommodate changing technology and data user demand.  New file formats 
and additional information can be found at http://www.census.gov/foreign-
trade/statistics/notices/20080901_productchanges.html 


If you have any questions or need additional information, please contact the Census Bureau's Data 
Dissemination Branch on (301) 763-2311 or at ftd.data.dissemination@census.gov.






